Modern medicine has seen the appendix as a useless sac that is often removed even if there is no significant problems.?? The idea that the body would take the time and energy to create an organ that had no purpose never set well with me.?? The body is an amazing, self healing organism that doesn’t waste energy.?? Unfortunately we have become so full of hubris that we believe we know what the body needs more than the body itself knows.

I was happy to see that researchers have found a use for this organ that was once thought of as just a place for infections.?? Earlier this month, researchers from Duke University released a study stating they have found a function for the appendix.?? The researcher believe that the appendix plays an important role in populating the normal gut flora that is responsible for extracting nutrients from our food.

As our food moves into the intestines, billions of bacteria in the GI system go to work on our food to remove nutrients that will benefit our body.?? These are the same bacteria thar are destroyed with antibiotic use.?? Without these beneficial bacterial out bodies do not receive the proper amount of nutrients, which has been shown to affect overall health and immune system function.?? Getting nutrients from our food has become more difficult?? because of the foods we eat contain less nutrients than they did in years past.?? This is obviously true for the processed foods that are omnipresent in the Standard American Diet (SAD), but even the fresh fruits and vegetables has less nutrient value than they once did.?? In years past if our ancestors wanted a fruit, they would go to the tree and grab the fruit right off the tree and eat it.?? It was important to eat the fruit as soon as it was removed from it’s life line (the tree) because the fruit starts losing nutrients as soon as it is removed.?? When we want fruit we go to the grocery store and purchase fruit that could have come from half way around the world.?? These fruits have been picked early and treated with chemicals that prevent over riping.?? By the time these fruits enter your digestive system, they have lost much of their beneficial nutrients.

We are starting the digestive process with sub par food and putting these foods in a body that is not capable of properly digesting what is already diminished.?? The lack of nutrients in our diets and our inability to digest leads to poor immune system function and an environment for disease and illness.

Adding probiotics is simple and easy, most grocery stores and health food stores carry this supplement.?? Unfortunately there are a lot of supplements that don’t contain what they claim.?? I recommend a product called Human Microflora (HMF) which is available through physicians.?? For other recommendations, Consumer Labs in a consumer protection agency that examines supplements and reports on their contents and viability.